John Wiswell

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D Paglia
766 books | 151 friends

Rishind...
958 books | 25 friends

Matt
1,016 books | 8 friends

Jessica...
1,270 books | 244 friends

Lauren
897 books | 69 friends

Bogi Ta...
5,977 books | 268 friends

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Ladz
3,300 books | 133 friends

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John Wiswell

Goodreads Author


Born
in The United States
Website

Genre

Member Since
June 2007


Terry Pratchett

I'm so grateful that Terry Pratchett spent so many years creating incomparable fiction for us. Fantasy would not be the same without him.
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Published on March 12, 2015 12:27
Average rating: 3.88 · 24,246 ratings · 5,579 reviews · 68 distinct worksSimilar authors
Someone You Can Build a Nes...

3.88 avg rating — 20,381 ratings — published 2024 — 23 editions
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Wearing the Lion

3.71 avg rating — 1,023 ratings — published 2025 — 9 editions
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Open House on Haunted Hill

4.15 avg rating — 745 ratings — published 2020 — 2 editions
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D.I.Y

3.83 avg rating — 316 ratings — published 2022
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The Three O’Clock Dragon

3.68 avg rating — 191 ratings — published 2023
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I'll Miss Myself

3.74 avg rating — 158 ratings — published 2024
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Phantom View

3.71 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 2025 — 2 editions
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Questa storia non è la storia

3.90 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2021
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Reactor Magazine Short Fict...

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3.17 avg rating — 6 ratings
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The Dragon Has Some Complaints

4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — expected publication 2026 — 2 editions
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Related News

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day, according to early...
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Cursed Daughters
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by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Goodreads Author)
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Obstetrix
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When We Were Real
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John Wiswell is currently reading
Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
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Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer
Obstetrix
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Rabbit Test and Other Stories by Samantha Mills
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If you've only read "Rabbit Test," you aren't prepared for the amazing journey Mills is about to take your on. Her stories are equally trenchant and humane. And if you haven't read "Rabbit Test," what are you waiting for?

I received an ARC from Tachyo
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The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
"The book captures the anticipation and wonder of Christmas Eve in a single magical night. The narrative follows a family sleeping peacefully as mysterious sounds draw the narrator to the window, where a miraculous scene unfolds with Saint Nicholas ar" Read more of this review »
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A Philosophy of Thieves by Fran Wilde
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The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D.  Sui
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When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
When We Were Real
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Rabbit Test and Other Stories by Samantha Mills
"The art of short story writing is to make the reader feel as connected to the character, place, and plot as if they were reading a novel length story. Samantha Mills exceeds expectations in this area, and I will be on the lookout for everything and a" Read more of this review »
Rabbit Test and Other Stories by Samantha Mills
"A really strong collection of short stories blending fantasy and science fiction, sometimes inside the same story. Most of them revolve around themes of family and bodily autonomy. The writing is easy to follow even if she likes to jump around time a" Read more of this review »
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Quotes by John Wiswell  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“No young woman of means has gone through her entire life without at least once surveying her opportunities and wishing for a dragon instead.”
John Wiswell, Someone You Can Build a Nest In

“All Shesheshen could do for Homily was be patient with her, and make space for her, and eventually, one day behind her back, eat her mother.”
John Wiswell, Someone You Can Build a Nest In

“[...]for hatred was the fear people let themselves enjoy.”
John Wiswell, Someone You Can Build a Nest In

Polls

What book would you like to read for our September 2025 Group Read? The theme is Whimsy.

 
  18 votes 31.0%

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Fantasy, Magical Realism
 
  11 votes 19.0%

Circe by Madeline Miller
Fantasy, Mythology
 
  10 votes 17.2%

 
  4 votes 6.9%

 
  4 votes 6.9%

 
  3 votes 5.2%

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Fantasy, Romance
 
  2 votes 3.4%

Wendy's Ever After by Julie Wright
Fantasy, Romance
 
  2 votes 3.4%

 
  2 votes 3.4%

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Childrens, Fantasy
 
  2 votes 3.4%

58 total votes
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Sci-fi and Heroic...: What have you been Reading this October? 57 65 Nov 01, 2021 09:49AM  
Play Book Tag: 2022 Hugo Awards 16 29 Sep 10, 2022 07:34PM  
SciFi and Fantasy...: D.I.Y by John Wiswell - March Short Story 17 47 Apr 01, 2023 07:10AM  
“A friend came to visit James Joyce one day and found the great man sprawled across his writing desk in a posture of utter despair.

James, what’s wrong?' the friend asked. 'Is it the work?'

Joyce indicated assent without even raising his head to look at his friend. Of course it was the work; isn’t it always?

How many words did you get today?' the friend pursued.

Joyce (still in despair, still sprawled facedown on his desk): 'Seven.'

Seven? But James… that’s good, at least for you.'

Yes,' Joyce said, finally looking up. 'I suppose it is… but I don’t know what order they go in!”
Stephen King

“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”
Niels Bohr

“A fanatic is a man who, when he's lost sight of his purpose, redoubles his effort.”
Poul Anderson, Harvest of Stars

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.”
Groucho Marx

“[O]ne of the mixed blessings of being twenty and twenty-one and even twenty-three is the conviction that nothing like this, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, has ever happened before.”
Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem

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This group is to discuss AWESOME books!!!
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Comments (showing 1-8)    post a comment »
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message 8: by John

John Wiswell Ella wrote: "John wrote: "Ella wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, John! Have you read any Dunsany?"

Pleased to meet you, Ella! I only started reading him in 2013, when I was challenged to ape his style. I ..."


As someone just starting to get publications under my belt, I completely sympathize with his fear. He was unique in ways that would probably get a lot of any marketplace to shut him out. Many of our greats were like that!


message 7: by Lena (last edited Jan 27, 2015 08:32PM)

Lena John wrote: "Ella wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, John! Have you read any Dunsany?"

Pleased to meet you, Ella! I only started reading him in 2013, when I was challenged to ape his style. I failed terrib..."


So true! Though apparently his unusual prose style caused him worry - he wrote once,

"For years no style seemed to me natural but that of the Bible and I feared that I never would become a writer when I saw that other people did not use it."


message 6: by John

John Wiswell Ella wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, John! Have you read any Dunsany?"

Pleased to meet you, Ella! I only started reading him in 2013, when I was challenged to ape his style. I failed terribly, though I wrote a preposterous thing in result. He's one of Fantasy's truly unique authors.


message 5: by Lena

Lena Thanks for the friend request, John! Have you read any Dunsany?


message 4: by John

John Wiswell Ken wrote: "Hi John. Good evening, I hope the weekend is well. Thanks for accepting me on your friends list. I look forward to doing some back reading on your many book reviews and come across some gems that I..."

Happy to meet you, Ken. Thanks for the earnest explanation of why you wanted to be friends in the invitation. It's rare someone explains like that. I ought to be reading more non-superhero comics this summer - Demo looks particularly appealing.


message 3: by John

John Wiswell Joe wrote: "Hi john, Thanks for accepting, What is the one book you would recommend to me?

Joe."


We do seem to have fairly similar tastes, looking at our two book feeds. You're reading one of my all-time favorite novels right now. Comparing the lists, I'd next recommend Huxley's Brave New World. It's a wild vision of the future pregnant with social commentary.


Joseph Hi john, Thanks for accepting, What is the one book you would recommend to me?

Joe.


SHAKIRA CHOONG My dear friend,
How have you been?
I would be very honoured if you could be so kind as to read my story and see it you like it?
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/5...

hugs,
shakira
http://justmeshakirack.blogspot.com


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